Noticeboard

Bank Holiday Closure

The surgery will be closed on Monday 1st May 2017 and Monday 29th May 2017 for the Bank Holidays. If you have an urgent medical problem that cannot wait until the surgery re opens on Tuesday 18th April 2017 please call 111.

NHS 111 is a telephone service for people in Sussex to to find out where they can access medical help fast but are not in a life-threatening situation. The service is available for people who aren’t sure if they need to go to A&E, need more information about where to get NHS help or generally need reassurance and advice.

The easy to remember number - 111 - that is available across the country - has been introduced to help people get the right help, at the right time, especially at weekends and out of hours.

111 is free to call and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

By calling NHS 111, you will reach a team of fully trained advisers, and experienced nurses and doctors who will assess your condition and direct you to the local service that can help you best, when you need it.

If you have had an injury or accident please go to the Urgent Treatment Centre at Crawley Hospital unless you need to ring 999 for an ambulance.

Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and / or shortness of breath constitute an emergency.

The surgery will be closed for staff training on Wednesday Thursday 18th May 2017 from 12.30 and will reopen on Friday 19th May 2017 at 8.30 am. If you have an urgent medical problem which cannot wait until the surgery reopens please call 111. The NHS 111 service is free to call from both landlines and mobiles. If you have had an injury or accident please go to the Urgent Treatment Centre at Crawley Hospital. If the emergency is life threatening please dial 999.

Extended Hours - We would like to inform all our patients that with effect of 1st April 2017 we will no longer be providing Extended Hours on a Monday evening.

From 6th January 2017 we will be replacing all 'old style' pharmacy nominations (where we would print your prescription and it would be collected by a representative of your nominated pharmacy) with Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) pharmacy nominations. This will not affect where your prescriptions go, but simply how they get there.

You can change or remove your pharmacy nomination at any time. If you wish to do so, please let a member of staff know.

Your Information and how we use it

This leaflet provides information about why the NHS records information about you and how it is used; with whom we may share information; your right to see your health records; and how we keep your records confidential.

Why we collect information about you

In the NHS we aim to provide you with the highest quality health care.

To do this we must keep records about you, your health and the care we have provided or plan to provide to you.

Your doctor and other health professionals caring for you, such as nurses or physiotherapists, keep records about your health and treatment so that they are able to provide you with the best possible care.

These records are called your ‘health care record’ and may be stored in paper form or on central computer databases and may include:

basic details about you, such as your address, date of birth, and next of kin

contact we have had with you, such as clinical visits

notes and reports about your health

details and records about your treatment and care

Results of x-rays, laboratory tests etc.

How your records are used to help you

The way that health information is recorded has changed over time and it is now possible for health care professionals to add information into a central clinical system which links directly to your GP record. We also have electronic tools that enable the NHS to understand the risks your health is putting you at and to put in place services that will reduce this risk.

This provides you with a better level of care because the people caring for you have accurate and up-to-date information about your health.

Your health care record is used to ensure that

health care professionals looking after you have accurate and up-to-date information about you to help them decide on any future care you may require

full information is available should you see another doctor or be referred to a specialist or another part of the NHS

there is a good basis for assessing the type and quality of care you have received

your concerns can be properly investigated if you need to complain

How your records are used to help the NHS

In order for the NHS to make the best use of its resources we need to understand what care we are providing and to whom. Whenever we do not need to know it is about you individually we will only use your information in an anonymised form. Your information can help the NHS to:

Plan services to ensure we meet the needs of our population in the future. This includes predictive and preventative care in a proactive care setting

look after the health of the general public, e.g. notifying central NHS groups of outbreaks of infectious diseases

report events to the appropriate authorities when we are required to do so by law, e.g. notification of births

undertake clinical audit of the quality of services provided

report and investigate complaints, claims and untoward incidents

prepare statistics on our performance for the Department of Health

review our care to make sure that it is of the highest standard

teach and train health care professionals

conduct health research and development

pay your GP or hospital for the care you have received

audit NHS accounts

There may be other uses to which Health Care Records may be of assistance to the NHS.

How we keep your information safe

Everyone working for the NHS has a duty to keep your information confidential and secure.

However, from time to time, there may be a need to share some or all of your information with other health care professionals or NHS organisations so that we can work together to provide the best possible care.

We will only ever share your information if it is in the best interests for your NHS, and in certain circumstances, social care.

The CCG will not disclose any information that identifies you to anyone outside your care team without your express permission unless in exceptional circumstances, such as where we are required to do so by law.

You have the right

You have the right to confidentiality under the Data Protection Act 1998, the Human Rights Act 1998 and the common law duty of confidence. The Disability Discrimination and the Race Relations Acts may also apply.

You also have the right to ask for a copy of all records about you

Your request must be made in writing (email is acceptable) to the organisation holding your information.

There may be a charge to have a printed copy of the information held about you.

We are required to respond to you within 40 days. You will need to give adequate information (e.g. full name, address, date of birth, NHS number) and you will be required to provide identification before any information is released to you.

If you think that there are inaccuracies in your record, you have the right to request that these be corrected or annotated

If you have any concerns about how your information may be shared, please discuss them with your health care provider, e.g. GP, nurse, dentist

Everyone working in the NHS or for Social Services has a legal duty to keep information about you

Records will be kept in line with the Department of Health Records Management Code of Practice

We have a duty to

maintain full and accurate records of the care we provide to you

keep records about you confidential, secure and accurate

Provide information in a format that is accessible to you (for example, in large type if you are partially sighted).

We only share information if

it ensures you receive the best care possible

you ask us to do so

we ask and you give us specific permission

we have to do this by law

we have special permission for health or research purposes

We have special permission because the interests of the public are thought to be of greater importance than your confidentiality